Palestine: Gaza governance committee must not be permanent

The Palestinian Authority opposes any move to make the Gaza administrative committee a permanent structure, according to Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin. The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, headed by Ali Shaath, was conceived as the second phase of a conflict resolution plan proposed by US President Donald Trump. The committee is intended to assume civil administration during a transitional period, though Israel has not yet allowed its members to enter Gaza to commence operations. “The Gaza management committee is a necessary transitional, temporary mechanism designed to restore and rebuild the sector,” Shahin said. “The Palestinian leadership does not want this committee to become a permanent structure or an alternative to a political settlement.” She added that practical steps on the ground and security guarantees must first be established before the committee can begin its work.